Epilogue
by Jonnoda
Summary: Four stories on how Sokka could have ended.[SokkaSuki, SokkaAzula]


_**Disclaimer: **_None of the characters depicted in the following stories belong to the Author, and no money is being made from this work.

_Four stories on how Sokka could have ended._

_**Scholar**_

The headmaster was a source of mystery and intrigue among his students and his staff. The man was old, ancient even, yet he still moved with energy that belonged to those a half century younger. He had never married, as far as anyone new, he had no children, but whispers and rumors abounded about him. That he had once been the lover of the legendary Toph Bei Fong, that he had been the genius tactician behind the battle of the Dark Sun, that the reason he had never married was because he had been in love with and loved by the moon spirit Yue herself. They said that he had stood beside Avatar Aang as a brother, had given his sister hand in marriage to the last airbender.

He spent most of his days tinkering away in the old Air Temple turned engineering marvel turned Grand University. He had discovered many things in his lifetime, had become a man of knowledge and renown throughout the world.

He had discovered things, things that made the world a better place. It had been he who had designed the new aqueduct system that now operated in Ba Sing Se, Omashu and even the Fire Nation capital itself, allowing all citizens access to fresh water in their own homes.

Flight was no longer limited to rejuvenating Airbenders, building on those who had come before him he had refined the original war-balloon, making it longer, sleeker, with wind sails and a steam engine. Now people traveled using his Flying Machines daily to and fro many of the major villages in the Earth Kingdom.

Now in his 98th year, he looked out from the balcony of his office, breathing the fresh mountain air that he had grown so used to. Looking down he observed the many students flourishing in his university, united under one goal.

To understand and to learn for the betterment of all.

In his final years he began his memoirs, detailing his life, his struggles, his reasons and his successes. He was looking forward to seeing his family again after 84 years of study and invention, knowing he had fulfilled his last promise to Aang.

On his deathbed surrounded by students and teachers who he had come to consider his extended family Sokka smiled has he passed on.

---

_**Avenger**_

No one new his name only that he was the dark avatar of his goddess, a slayer, an assassin whose reach was far and extended very, very, deep. He alone was responsible for slaying the upper echelon of the Fire Nation military, and that of the reigning fire nation family.

After the Sunless day, when the Avatar and his companions fell to an overwhelming ambush led by Zuko the Betrayer, he alone rose from the ashes and swore vengeance.

Zuko was the first to die. He retired for the night surrounded by guards in his personal fortress and was found in the morning decapitated his head hanging from the large tree in the middle of his courtyard. The guards stationed outside his door and below his window claimed that nothing had approached the room that night and that nothing had seemed suspicious at all. They were executed by Princess Azula when she came to verify her brother death as an example to those who failed in their duties. It was then, while going through his desk and personal effects did she find the note. It was a small piece of paper unremarkable but for the simple charcoal drawing of a moon.

Two days later Ty Lee and Mai, Princess Azulas handmaidens, where found dead in their rooms from poisoned tea, and a charcoal moon under their cups.

That night Azula meditated, and whispers abounded. Azula was waiting for this assassin to come, and then she would kill him. The servants chattered away like excited and terrified mice while the slaves listened and prayed. In the end they all agreed, Azula would win.

They found her the next day skewered on a pike in the middle of the Fire Nation palace courtyard.

There was no trace of a battle.

It was then that the whispers truly began. He was the Shadowbender, a magician, a bender of shadows, he could appear anywhere at any time, none where safe from his wrath.

Across the world this spread like wildfire, and slowly in the beaten hearts and souls of people, hope began to flower.

The Fire Lord raged at the loss of his daughter and heir, he ordered a full search of the city, suspicious people to be executed on sight or brought in for interrogation. He tripled the guards and placed a five million gold bounty on the head of the assassin that supposedly bent shadows. A month passed and nothing happened, and Ozai believing he had killed the assassin in the purges stepped forward to quell the rebellious peasants. When it became clear that would not leave as he declared them rebels and ordered his soldiers to make an example of them, and then he died. An arrow flew with its aim true and pierced the Fire Lord, wounding but not killing him. As his elite soldiers surrounded him to defend him from the assassin, none noticed the explosives attached to it.

The rebels shocked at first from the explosion, attacked quickly overwhelming the stunned soldiers and stormed the palace.

As the last remaining member of Fire Nation royalty alive, Iroh, was found and freed by the rebels and then crowned Fire Lord. He immediately set about righting the wrongs of the past and healing his own nation from its self inflicted wounds. He adopted two war orphans and proclaimed the eldest, just shy of five years old to be his heir. He even offered to personally train the new Avatar how to firebend.

The Shadowbender did not act again against the Fire Nation, and Iroh continued to reign in a fair and just manner for the rest of his life.

He became a legend, a hero of the common folk, whenever a lord or king became too greedy, too power hungry or criminal, the whispers would begin and eventually justice would be met.

---

_**Father**_

He awoke with a start as Suki sat up and groaned in pain and irritation.

"This is definitely your child Sokka" She began, an irritated pout flashing across her face in the darkness. "She's been quite stubbornly kicking me for the past five hours."

A small laugh and then, "Actually I think the kicking comes from you my love, you're quite adept at it." His hand traveled in the darkness along the hem of her nightgown, slipping under it and trailing along her swollen belly. She hissed at the soft caress arching into it slightly, amazed at how her husband could make her feel even in this state. Then he felt the kick.

"She seems rather intent on joining us in the outside world doesn't she?"

"I'm looking forward to having her in the outside world," came back the wry reply, "then I can get a full night of sleep and you can stay up because of her."

A deep chuckle met this statement as he leaned in to kiss his wife lightly on the lips, his hand now softly caressing her swollen breasts, knowing they were particularly sensitive at this stage of her pregnancy. She mewled slightly and tried to deepen the kiss but he pulled back and gave her a rakish grin.

"I'm sure there are other things you're looking forward to as well." She pouted and turned away from him with a muffled "Hmph" and proceeded to wince as the baby kicked again.

Seeing this Sokka leaned over and tapped his wife's belly lightly and spoke in a tone that brooked no opposition. "Listen young lady, you're going to stop kicking your mother and go to sleep or I won't take you flying with Appa when Aang and Katara come by to visit."

Almost like magic the kicking stopped. The silence lasted for fifteen seconds before Suki turned and kissed her bemused husband, whispered her love and promptly fell asleep from exhaustion.

Sokka lay awake for a while longer listening to Suki's soft breathing as breeze came in through their window, bringing the sent of the Ocean to his nose. Living on the island of Kyoshi was not what he had expected he would be at this stage of his life, still he couldn't complain, he had a beautiful wife, the first of hopefully many children on the way and friends and family all over the world. Most importantly though he was bringing his child into a world of peace and prosperity, something he was eternally grateful for.

With that thought he turn to his wife, already deep in her sleep, and placed a hand on her belly before finally drifting off .

---

_**Husband**_

At twelve he had been a peasant.

At fourteen a warrior and one of the Avatar's trusted companions.

At sixteen a war hero with too much blood on his hands and people to protect.

At twenty he had most definitely NOT expected to have become Fire Nation Royalty. However it did seem to be a rather obvious side effect of marrying the sister of the Fire Lord.

Their marriage was not one of love, but one of necessity, the Fire Lord needed a connection with the rest of the world and somehow it had ended up on Sokka's shoulders to marry into the royalty and provide that vital link.

As it turned out the water tribe warrior was a savvy politician, using his easy and open friendliness to divert many situations that could have proven disastrous for the Fire Nation if they had been left of control. His network of informants along with Fire Lady Mai's kept Lord Zuko well informed and in control of his nation.

Azula in turn was still arrogant and overbearing but eventually fell to what became known among Avatar Aang and his compatriots (including the Fire Nation royals) as the 'Sokka Effect'. A year into the marriage Azula seemed to develop a mild fondness for her husband that eventually grew and blossomed into a shared friendship and mutual trust. She even ended up being a fairly doting mother when she birthed a pair of fraternal twins in the fifth year of their marriage. This seemed to disturb Zuko, and when questioned by his wife, simply stated that Azula seemed to slowly be taking on the mannerisms of his long dead mother.

When Sokka was sixty years old, he retired from his position as one of the Fire Lords chief advisors. That same year, Zuko himself retired and passed on his title to his own son, answer Sokkas questioning glance with a simple, "You looked like you were having fun, and meetings are boring now."

Together they lived with their wives in the Fire Nation palace telling stories to the grand children (consisting of fire, water, earth and airbenders) of war, love and peace.

When he passed on quietly and alongside his wife in their one hundredth and eleventh year of life, he was surrounded by family of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren from all over the world. Turning to face Azula for one last time he smiled and gently squeezed her hand, and with a whispered goodbye they left together for the great beyond.

_fin_


End file.
